Union score convincing 3-1 win over Red Bulls

The Union’s Fred, center, celebrates his second half goal with teammates Maurice Edu, left, and Ethan White against the New York Red Bulls during a soccer game, Wednesday, July 16, 2014 in Chester, Pa. (AP Photo/Philadelphia Daily News, Yong Kim)

Union goalie Zac MacMath makes a save against the New York Red Bulls during a soccer game, Wednesday, July 16, 2014 in Chester, Pa. (AP Photo/Philadelphia Daily News, Yong Kim)

CHESTER – The Philadelphia Union entered Wednesday night’s game worried about ending one long, unsightly drought. It was the halting of another that made it possible.

Goals by Conor Casey, Sebastien Le Toux and Fred, the latter his first in MLS play in exactly 45 months, helped the Union end their home-field hoodoo, notching a 3-1 win over the New York Red Bulls.

The win is the first at home for the Union (5-8-7, 22 points) in MLS play in four months and one day, dating to the encounter with New England March 15. The club had gone winless (0-2-5) in seven matches at PPL Park since.

New York, which saw a five-game unbeaten streak come to an end, got a goal thanks to MLS leading scorer Bradley Wright-Phillips and looked dangerous in the second half, but they couldn’t overcome the deficit fostered by a sleepy first half.

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The Union’s return to the win column at home was aided by the 51st-minute goal from Fred, his first in his second stint with the club. Fred’s last goal in MLS came exactly three years and nine months ago on Oct. 16, 2010 – in a Union jersey at PPL Park against New York.

Casey opened the scoring after nine minutes with a superb combination of dogged work and delicate touch on the ball in what was the club’s first organized foray forward.

Off a Zac MacMath goal kick, Casey beat defender Jamison Olave on an aerial duel, controlled the ball and played Andrew Wenger out wide. Wenger put a hopeful ball into Casey’s path, and the bulky striker took a precise touch around a befuddled Matt Miazga and finished low and to the right of Luis Robles.

Fred’s goal came courtesy of Casey’s discretion, the striker dummying a look at a deflected cross from Sheanon Williams for the Brazilian substitute to latch onto it and blister one past Robles. Fred had come on for injured Cristian Maidana late in the first half.

The Fred goal seemed to awaken both teams in the way Casey’s hadn’t, turning up the heat in a meeting of the two most prolific scoring teams in the Eastern Conference. Within nine minutes, the Red Bulls’ tried and true combination of Thierry Henry to Wright-Phillips struck, the Frenchman’s MLS-leading 10th assist of the season setting up the Englishman’s 16th goal and 15th in the last 12 matches.

Just as the Red Bulls were ramping up the pressure, Le Toux was able to relieve it by converting from the penalty spot, his 11th successful spot kick in 11 attempts in a Union kit. Eric Alexander horse-collared Maurice Edu in the box on a corner kick, forcing referee Baldomero Toledo to point to the spot. Le Toux made no mistake, and though Robles guessed correctly, there was no stopping the effort Le Toux pounded into the roof of the net.

The goal is the Union’s 22nd in the last nine MLS matches and 29th in the last 12 matches in all competitions. It takes their goal tally to 32 on the season, leap-frogging New York into the Eastern Conference lead.

The win also moves the Union one point behind the Red Bulls for the fifth and final playoff spot in the East.

The Red Bulls (5-6-8, 23 points) threatened to tie the game before Le Toux’s tally, but a combination of MacMath and the assistant referee prevented that. The Red Bulls had the ball in the back of the net in the 64th off a header by Tim Cahill, but the linesman ruled that Wright-Phillips, from an offside position, interfered with the play despite not touching the ball.

MacMath repelled chaos in the box in the 71st, stretching a hand to barely reach Alexander’s effort and smothering Wright-Phillips’ follow from in close. A follow by Henry was cleared off the line by Williams.

Five minutes later, MacMath was in the right place to deny a diving header from fullback Ambroise Oyongo.